Cleaner for paint applicator rollers



July 26, 1955 w, w s 2,713,868

CLEANER FOR PAINT APPLICATOR ROLLERS Filed April 15, 1953 United States Patent CLEANER FOR PAINT APPLICATOR ROLLERS William F. Lewis, Oak Park, Ill. Application April 15, 1953, Serial No. 349,071 1 Claim. (Cl. 134172) This invention relates to cleaning devices for washing out rollers of the type used for the application of paint to a flat surface.

An object of my invention is to provide a device for cleaning paint applicator rollers by holding the roller in a vertical position and effecting a flow of water downwardly along the roller to remove paint therefrom.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cleaning device for paint applicator rollers readily attachable to a faucet and to the end of the roller, and directing a flow of water along the roller upon the turning on of the faucet.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a cleaning device for washing out paint applicator rollers in which a nozzle has a plug extending from one end thereof within a row of spray orifices leading therethrough for insertion on the open end of a paint applicator roller and has a fitting extending from the opposite end thereof confining the water to flow through the spray orifices and attachable to a faucet for effecting a uniform flow of water along the face of the roller when attached to the faucet.

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a cleaning device constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the cleaning device attached to the open end of a paint roller at one end and to a faucet at its opposite end, and directing a flow of water along the face of the applicator roller;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken through the cleaning device and roller shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the nozzle looking toward the plug insertable within the open end of the paint roller; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line IV-IV of Figure 3.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown in Figure 1 a cleaning device constructed in accordance with my invention and attached to a faucet 11 and holding a paint roller 12 in a vertica position to flow water downwardly therealong and effect the cleaning of paint therefrom.

The cleaning device 10 is shown as being in the form of a nozzle comprising a flat circular disk 14 having an annular row of apertures or orifices 15, 15 leading therethrough. A tapered plug 16 is shown as being secured to one side of the disk 14 within the flow orifices 15, 15 and concentric therewith. The plug 16 is insertable in the end of a paint applicator roller when the handle thereof has been removed, as shown in Figure 2 and may be made of cork or rubber or any other suitable material which will fit within the open ends of paint applicator rollers of various diameters, and close the open ends thereof and hold the same in a vertical position for the flow of cleaning water along the outside of the roller.

A fitting 17 is shown as extending from the opposite 2,713,868 Patented July 26, 1955 side of the disk 14 from the plug 16, for insertion on the end of a faucet, and defining a fluid passageway to the disk 14 and the orifices 15, 15 leading therethrough.

The fitting 17 may be of various forms, but is herein shown as being a flexible bellows type of fitting having a lower recessed annular rim 19 fitting along the opposite sides of the disk 14. The rim 19 may be cemented to the disk 14. The fitting 17 is shown as having a bell-shaped mouth 20 extending over the disk 14, the inner periphery of which defines a fluid passageway to the disk 14 and the orifices 15, 15 leading therethrough. The mouth 20 is shown as terminating into a restricted bellows-like neck 21 leading to a thickened socket portion 23, which may fit on the end of the faucet.

In operation of the device, it is simply necessary to remove the handle from the applicator roller and insert the plug 16 on one open end thereof and then insert the socket 23 of the fitting 17 on a faucet to hold the roller 12 in a vertical position.

The water may then be turned on to flow through the orifices 15, 15 downwardly through the mat on the roller, and wash water soluble material from the roller. If desired, the operation may be repeated by removing the plug 16 from one end of the roller, inverting the roller, and placing the plug 16 thereon and replacing the fitting on the faucet 11 and turning on the water.

While this device finds particular application to the cleaning of paint applicator rollers which have been used with water-vehicle paints, it is also applicable for rollers that have been used on oil-vehicle paints provided the roller has first been rinsed in one of the many available cleaners that render the oil paint susceptible to washing with water.

It may be seen from the foregoing that an extremely simple and novel form of cleaning device has been provided for celaning paint from paint applicator rollers, and that cleaning is attained by holding the roller vertically by the cleaning device, attaching the cleaning device to a faucet and allowing the water to flow downwardly along the mat of the roller, and that once the cleaning device has been inserted on the end of a faucet to hold a paint applicator roller vertically and flow water downwardly therealong, the cleaning device requires no further attention, and that the water may be allowed to flow downwardly along the roller as long as desired, or until the roller is entirely clean.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

A paint applicator roller celaner comprising a thin disk having an annular row of orifices leading therethrough adjacent the periphery thereof and concentric with the center thereof, a flexible fitting and fluid passageway defining member having said disk recessed within the edge thereof and extending therefrom and having an open flexible socket fitting over the end of a faucet to form a water tight joint therewith, and a downwardly tapering plug extending from the opposite side of said disk from said fitting inwardly of said apertures and concentric therewith and fitting within the open end of the paint applicator roller and holding the same vertically and positioning said apertures to direct the flow of Water downwardly along the mat thereon.

Engel Feb. 20, 

